One-of-a-kind wave pool planned for San Clemente

Greyson Fletcher, a pro skateboarder and actor, carves a track on a prototype wave pool that Surf Spot Technologies is developing into what the designers say will be surfing's first half-pipe.COURTESY OF SURF SPOT TECHNOLOGIES

For inquiries about the project, contact Groves or Financial Corp. President Chris Schlegel at 888-804-0678, or email info@thefinancialcorp.com. The partners said their concept could be applied at other locations, though San Clemente currently is the sole focus.

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While San Clemente prepares to open a $33 million sports park, entrepreneurs are working quietly behind the scenes, preparing to add a water feature to the park that they say will be unlike any other.

Surf N Turf San Clemente is the name of an 18-hole miniature golf course, a restaurant and a 75,000-gallon wave pool that's in final stages of design. Engineered to be a surfing version of a skateboard half-pipe, the wave pool will feature sloping walls and sheets of gushing water that can be fine-tuned to support different skill levels and riding styles.

When the city dedicates three baseball fields, two soccer fields, a multipurpose field, a football field, a universal-access playground and a two-pool aquatics center, visitors to Vista Hermosa Sports Park may notice a 1-acre patch that remains oddly vacant.

That's where San Clemente entrepreneur Scott Melcher is developing plans for a miniature golf course. During the past five years, his project has morphed from 36 holes of miniature golf and a food concession to 18 holes of golf, a restaurant and a wave pool. And what a wave pool.

"It'll be the first real water half-pipe," said Aaron McIntosh, a partner in the $2 million-plus project.

"It's the only one in the world," said Jourdan Groves, vice president of The Financial Corp., backer of the project. "We want to showcase it here in San Clemente. Your snowboarders, skateboarders, skimmers, wakeboarders – you can have a competition among all the pro riders."

Partners in the project say they are working with sheet-wave technology developed for wave pools around the world and are raising the bar, almost like creating a new extreme sport. They call their enterprise Surf Spot Technology and won't release drawings, as they think their design will rewrite the book on this type of wave pool.

"You can drop in from the side, like a half-pipe ramp for skaters," Groves said. "It's the first half-pipe sheet-wave technology that you can actually ride the sides and drop into."

Melcher added: "It's for kids to professionals – anything from a 10-year-old girl's birthday party to Kolohe Andino." Andino, a San Clemente surf star, just qualified at age 17 for pro surfing's world tour.

"The guys can go up and down the sides – bam, bam!" said Roy Gonzalez, a partner who is doing the artwork for Surf N Turf San Clemente and its restaurant, Mama Gnarly's.

Surf N Turf will be able to offer lessons and host fundraising tournaments and competitions. "As cool as it is for the kids, it's just as exciting for the spectators," Melcher said.

Melcher's portion of the sports park isn't being built with the rest because the venture has been testing wave-pool options and coming up with a cutting-edge design. Construction of the golf course and restaurant could begin in the spring, with hopes of opening in the summer. The 75,000-gallon containment pond also will go in and will be capped. The timing of the wave pool's opening isn't certain, as the team is still fine-tuning it.

"There are some good designs out there. We want to be on the forefront of that technology ... pushing it," said Andrew Street, project engineer. "We want to take this up a notch. We want to provoke the extreme attitude of athletes to come be part of our group, as well as the younger children ... something fun, exciting, new. It's all those things wrapped into one."

Mama Gnarly's will offer standard fast fare – burgers, etc. – plus healthy options, McIntosh said. "We will have delivery to the outlying area and to the fields," he said. "You'll be able to call in from Soccer Field A, send a pizza down."

Melcher said a deck on top of the concession is being considered that could serve as a VIP seating area, a place to hand out awards for tournaments, or a sit-down buffet venue with a view.

Greyson Fletcher, a pro skateboarder and actor, carves a track on a prototype wave pool that Surf Spot Technologies is developing into what the designers say will be surfing's first half-pipe. COURTESY OF SURF SPOT TECHNOLOGIES
Scott Melcher, Aaron McIntosh and Jourdan Groves, from left, are partners in Surf N Turf San Clemente, a wave pool, miniature golf course and restaurant planned for the vacant site just behind where they stand. It'll operate as a city concession, across from two soccer fields, in San Clemente's new sports park. FRED SWEGLES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Greyson Fletcher drops into a prototype wave pool that Surf Spot Technologies plans to enhance for high performance with strategically placed water jets. COURTESY OF SURF SPOT TECHNOLOGIES
Jourdan Groves, Aaron McIntosh and Scott Melcher, from left, stand about where the patio is planned for Surf N Turf San Clemente, a wave pool, an 18-hole miniature golf course and a restaurant. This view looks directly at the wave-pool site, with mini golf beyond it. FRED SWEGLES, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Christian Fletcher, a pioneer of aerial surfing and father of Greyson Fletcher, shows how a surfing half-pipe might work with strategically placed water jets. COURTESY OF SURF SPOT TECHNOLOGIES
Greyson Fletcher demonstrates the potential of a surfing half-pipe being developed by Surf Spot Technologies. COURTESY OF SURF SPOT TECHNOLOGIES

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